Three Words
by GretchenMaurice
Summary: Yes, I do mean those three words. Just a little three part Gelphie. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Feedback is very much appreciated! :)**

* * *

It was late when Glinda arrived at her room in Crage Hall. So late, in fact, that Elphaba had long since returned from her evening visit to the library and was settled into her bed for the night. She had even changed into her nightgown and crawled under her covers with a book. But one thing stopped her from focusing on the words.

_Where in Oz was Glinda?_

The blonde was always back first, usually before the sun had completely set. Yet it had been dark for hours, and still there was no sign of here. Elphaba put her book down with a sigh and rubbed her forehead. Where was she? Did something happen? Should she go look for her?

But before she could do anything more than get out of bed, the door had opened and in walked a short, tiny blonde.

"Where have you _been_?" Elphaba cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Glinda ignored her green friend and closed the door behind her. The room was dim, the only light coming from a lamp between the beds. She turned her head away, trying to hide her face from her roommate.

"…Glinda?"

The blonde walked over to her desk and set her bag down. Her shoulders were hunched and her hair hung limply around her face. "I…I lost track of time. That's all."

"You're lying," Elphaba said. But her voice had softened, and when she walked over and grabbed Glinda's shoulder, it was with all the tenderness in the world. "What happened?"

The blonde spun without warning and buried her face into Elphaba's chest. She mumbled something, but the words were thick with tears and muffled by the dark nightgown. Still, it wasn't hard for the green girl to guess what had happened. She wrapped her arms around Glinda and pulled her closer.

"Don't listen to them," she said softly, pressing her lips to golden hair. "Those girls are completely obsessed with gossip, but that doesn't make any of it true."

"H-how could they hate me so fast?" Glinda cried. "What did I ever do to them?"

_You stopped conforming, _Elphaba thought. But instead of saying that, she leaned down and kissed the blonde's temple. "You know it's not your fault, Glinda. And the people who really matter…they know it, too."

Glinda didn't answer. She just wrapped her arms around Elphaba's waist and inhaled the scent of fresh wood. After a minute or two the green girl pulled back. She cupped Glinda's face in her hands and wiped away the last of the tears, ignoring the blonde's mumbled protests about her water allergy.

"Come on. It's late. Let's get you ready for bed. Okay?"

For a moment, Glinda just stood there, losing herself in Elphaba's voice. It was low and coarse, yet somehow still gentle and smooth, like water gliding over rocks in the bottom of a stream. The sound and pitch was mildly intoxicating, and the blonde was content to let her head spin with it all. But Elphaba was watching her, concern growing in her eyes, so she bit her lip and blinked a few times.

"Right. Bed." Glinda let the green girl go, but not before standing up on her toes and pressing a kiss to her dark green lips. Elphaba's fingers reached for her as she walked away, not wanting to let her go.

Glinda slipped into the bathroom and changed quickly into her nightdress. The air was too cold without Elphaba. She could still hear her used-to-be friends' taunting, the horrible names they called her and her roommate…

The blonde shook her head and looked in the mirror. She scowled slightly at her reflection. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her makeup was smudged. Her hair had fallen out of its elegant twist and was hanging messily around her tear-stained face. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked out of the bathroom, holding back more tears. Glinda had once been the prettiest girl at Shiz, and now—

A green hand cupped her chin and tilted her face up, and suddenly she was losing herself in rich brown eyes. A warm light danced in Elphaba's gaze, and Glinda could just make out her reflection. That's when she realized it. She was still beautiful. No, she was even _more _beautiful now, because Elphaba saw who she really was. Elphaba knew everything about the blonde, and yet she still looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

And just like that, Glinda melted.

She put a hand on the back of the emerald neck and brought their lips together, whimpering softly as Elphaba instantly deepened the kiss. She felt hands at her waist, pulling her closer, and she wove her fingers into the silky raven hair.

The girls moved back until they were sitting on top of Glinda's bed, leaning in to each other. Glinda could feel her heart pounding, beating away the hurt of all the gossip. Her hand moved to Elphaba's shoulder, then slid down to rest over her heart. She smiled slightly when she felt the rapid pulse.

Elphaba tightened her grip on Glinda and pulled her closer, pressing their bodies together. Glinda clung to her, exploring their interlocked lips with her tongue. Elphaba let out a soft moan, and the blonde nearly hummed with bliss.

But all too soon, it was over. Glinda let out a small sigh as Elphaba's mouth left hers. The green girl smiled as she pulled away. "You're tired, my sweet. I am, too." She made to stand, but a pale hand grabbed her wrist.

"Don't go," Glinda said softly, the weight of her empty bed already pressing down on her. "Stay with me."

Her whisper filled the room and left Elphaba with no choice. Her brown eyes were glowing as she settled down again, pulling the blonde close. "Always," she breathed.

Glinda had never felt safer than she was at that moment. Green arms curled around her, hugging her to Elphaba's chest. They breathed in unison, the blanket rising and falling with one steady motion. Elphaba shifted one hand to Glinda's head, running her fingers through the shining curls. It wasn't long until both girls were asleep, wrapped together in an embrace that could keep out all of Oz.

* * *

Glinda had never felt happier than she did at that very moment. She could feel her best friend's arms around her long before she was fully awake. When she finally opened her eyes, the sunrise was shining through the window, painting their room a thousand different shades of gold and purple. It was a Saturday, which meant most of Shiz was still asleep. In their quiet room, it felt as if they were the only people in the world. And for the moment, the blonde was perfectly fine with that.

Elphaba's arms squeezed her gently, letting her know she was awake. Glinda ran her fingers up and down the green skin, smiling when her roommate shivered slightly. Everything was perfect. From the sunrise, to the quiet peacefulness, to the embrace that made her feel safe, comforted, _loved_.

"I love you, Elphaba," Glinda whispered.

The arms around her tensed.

Glinda turned around, staring up at her roommate's face. The green girl sat up, looking away. "I, uh…" She cleared her throat and jumped up from the bed. One hand flew to her hair, pushing it away from her face. Glinda felt her chest squeeze. How could she have been so stupid?

"Elphie." The blonde reached out and grabbed Elphaba's wrist before she could start pacing. "Look at me."

Her roommate swallowed, eyes glued to the floor.

"Elphie, you don't have to say it."

"I'm sorry," she mouthed, but no sound came out. She still wouldn't look up.

Glinda shook her head, standing up. She put a hand to Elphaba's cheek and tilted her head so they were facing each other. "Don't be. I love you. I want you to know that. But you don't have to say it back."

The dark eyes widened, just a little bit. "I…"

Glinda sat back down on her bed, patting the spot next to her. Elphaba's eyes flashed around the room. She didn't sit, but her fingers caught Glinda's and didn't let go.

"I just…" Elphaba's free hand came up to hug her elbow. "I've never told anyone…and no one's ever said to me…"

The blonde furrowed her brow. "No one? What about Nessa? Or Nanny?"

The green girl simply shook her head, her eyes darkening. Silence hung in the room.

Finally, Glinda had had enough. She tightened her grip on Elphaba's hand and tugged. The green girl let out a surprised yelp and fell onto the bed next to her. "Wha—?"

Before she could even finish the question, Glinda's lips met hers. Her hands cupped the green face, pulling her close. She pulled away after a long moment, giggling at the dazed look in the dark eyes.

Glinda pressed her forehead to Elphaba's, growing serious once more. "Then I'll say it now, and I don't care about a response. Elphaba Thropp, you are my best friend, my favorite person in all of Oz. And if I could take away every hardship you've had or will have to face, I would do it with a flick of my wand. But in a way, I'm glad that I can't. Because everything that you have endured, and everything that _we've _endured together," she laced her fingers through Elphaba's once more, "Has led to this moment. This beautiful, perfect moment where I can be alone with you—" She kissed the green cheek "—and hold you—" Her hand squeezed gently as her lips brushed Elphaba's jaw "—and kiss you—" Her lips met green, and Elphaba made a soft sound, somewhere between a sigh and a whimper "—and tell you I love you." Glinda pulled away only slightly, keeping their faces within inches of each other. She stared into Elphaba's eyes, losing herself in the tendrils of black and dark golden tinge and the endless warm brown.

Elphaba could feel her heart pounding as she searched Glinda's face. "I…" Once again, she faltered, but this time it was due to the fact that she had met the fathomless sapphire eyes, sparkling at her, welcoming her in a way no one ever had before. Maybe Elphaba couldn't say anything, but she suddenly had an answer. She leaned forward and kissed Glinda, wrapping her arms around the blonde. One hand stayed at the small of her back while the other found its place in the golden hair. She could feel Glinda melt, and it wasn't long before she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss. Her own hands moved up the skinny green body, fingers twirling in the raven hair and tracing the curve of her collar bone, her arched cheeks and sharp jaw.

They pulled back, both girls panting. "I love you," Glinda mouthed. The sunlight danced in her eyes.

Elphaba nodded, then kissed her again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just a little chapter two. HUGE shout out to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited part one. Thank you thank you thank you. You guys are fabulous. I think I should mention that there isn't any real timeline for this story, especially this chapter. The scenes could be a couple hours apart, or maybe a few weeks. It's up to you. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Glinda shoved her chair back from the desk with a huff and pressed her hands to her temples.

"Glinda?"

The blonde twisted around to face her roommate. "How do you handle all this, Elphie?"

The green girl's lips twitched. "You'll need to be more specific, my sweet."

Glinda pouted, pulling her knees to her chest. "This life science exam will be the death of me."

"Well we can't have that, now can we?"

"This isn't funny, Elphaba!" She pressed her palms into her eyes and took a shaky breath. "I can't fail this test," she whispered through her wrists. "Morrible will write to my parents. They…they were so proud of me for getting into Shiz. If they find out I'm failing…"

Elphaba stood up from the bed. "It's okay, Glinda. You're not failing."

"But if I don't ace this test I will be!"

The green girl knelt in front of her and gripped her hands. "Shh. Relax. Everything is going to be okay. We'll study together, and we'll both ace the exam, and everything will be just fine. Okay?"

The blonde sniffed. "I've been studying all week…I-I can't do it."

"Well, no. Not if you keep thinking like that."

"I…I don't know where to start."

Elphaba smiled. "You can start by wiping away these tears." She guided Glinda's hands up to brush her eyes. "And then you can join me over here." She scooped up the life science books and went back to her bed. Glinda stared at her for a moment, trying hard to swallow her anxiety. Finally, she stood and crossed the room to sit on the edge of the mattress. Elphaba looked at her for a moment, then held out her arms. The blonde scooted into her embrace.

"Relax," the green girl whispered in her ear. Glinda shivered, then took a deep breath and released the tension in her shoulders. "Now, the study guide he gave us covered these chapters…"

* * *

It wasn't very often that the blonde would let herself completely relax. Even when she was at home with no plans to leave the house, she would still paint her eyes and lips and pick out an elaborate dress to wear. But today, she thought, she deserved to let her hair down. Literally.

It was a Saturday, so no classes. Elphaba was going to be with Dr. Dillamond all day, helping him with research. Boq and Fiyero would most likely be with her, or else hanging out by the Suicide Canal with Crope and Tibbett. Her other friends had long since stopped asking her to hang out on the weekends. But instead of feeling lonely, Glinda found herself enjoying the time to herself. Elphaba must have been rubbing off on her.

She had woken up when the green girl left around dawn, but had quickly fallen back asleep until the late hours of the morning. She changed out of her nightgown and into a pair of old, loose fitting trousers and one of Elphaba's sweaters. The dark top was too long on her, and the sleeves fell past her wrists, but that only made her like it more.

After dressing she went into the bathroom and grabbed her jar of powder. Her hand stilled and she looked down at the makeup. Suddenly, it seemed like far too much effort. She reached instead for her brush and tied her hair back—nothing elaborate, just out of her face.

When Glinda was done, she studied her reflection in the mirror. The blonde had never liked the way she looked without makeup. Her eyes seemed puffy and less defined. Her cheeks were plain and pale without a rosy touch to them. And without her hair stylishly framing her head in some way, she seemed average, common…unattractive. She pinched a corner of her face and sighed. For a moment, her hand hovered over her makeup jars.

But she was comfortable like this. And, more importantly, no one was going to see her. Glinda looked away from the mirror and went back into the bedroom. She settled onto her bed, stretching out on her stomach, and pulled out the architecture book Elphaba had given her a few weeks ago.

Glinda didn't know how much time had passed when the sound of a key in the door caught her attention. She glanced up as Elphaba walked into the room. The green girl stopped when she caught sight of the blonde. Her lips twitched.

Glinda blinked, suddenly remembering that she had done nothing but lay in bed all day. Blood rushed to her face and she let out a squeak as she realized how awful she looked. She sat up and curled into a tight ball against the headboard, hugging her knees to her chest in a desperate attempt to make herself less noticeable.

Elphaba frowned slightly. "Don't."

"What?"

The green girl set her bag down and sank onto the bed next to Glinda. She cupped the blonde's face with one hand, her fingers brushing over the un-powdered cheek and bare lips. "You're gorgeous," she whispered.

Glinda looked down. "I don't have any make-up on."

"You're breathtaking," Elphaba said, ignoring her.

"My hair's a mess. I'm wearing trousers and a sweater."

Green lips met hers, lingering for one precious moment before pulling away again. "Glinda." Elphaba's voice was stern. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever met."

Glinda could only stare. "You…actually mean that." It wasn't a question, but a realization.

Elphaba didn't answer. She didn't need to.

* * *

"Hey ladies!"

Elphaba glanced up from her coffee mug and smirked dryly. "Crope. Tibbett. To what do we owe this pleasure?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Glinda smacked Elphaba's arm lightly. "Be nice, Elphie! Hello boys. What brings you here?"

"We wanted to visit our favorite couple, of course," Tibbett answered. Glinda smiled a little at the word _couple_, then giggled as Elphaba's cheeks darkened. Tibbett grinned.

"Actually," Crope said, obviously holding back a laugh, "We were looking for you, Elphaba. Boq needs your help at the library."

The green girl scowled. "Again? I thought he said he knew what he was doing."

"That's just what he told the librarian so he would get the job."

"Besides," Tibbett added, "Why would he need to know what he's doing when he's got you?"

Elphaba glared at them, but she stood up from the table. Glinda pouted. "Elphaba…"

The green girl's glare turned into a slight smile. "What? It's not like I'm leaving you."

The blonde's brow furrowed. "But…that's exactly what you're—" She squealed as green arms scooped her up and carried her out of the café. "Elphie! What are you doing?"

Elphaba's lips silenced her. She pulled away, chuckling. "Taking you with me, my sweet."

Glinda giggled. But then the cold air hit her, and she shivered. "It's _freezing _out here," she muttered. Suddenly she was set back on her feet. She pouted and trembled as the heat of Elphaba's arms disappeared.

Something soft and warm was wrapped around her shoulders. She glanced up at Elphaba, who was standing in the cold with nothing more than her sweater. The blonde began to protest and shrug off the coat, but the green girl stopped her.

"No, Elphie, you'll freeze."

"I'm fine, Glinda. Really. See, _I_ remembered the fact that it was winter and chose to wear a sweater today. _You_, on the other hand, wore a dress."

"But it's your coat!"

Elphaba buttoned the coat and scooped Glinda up again before she could protest. "Well then let's hurry and find Boq before I freeze."

Glinda squealed and laughed as Elphaba broke off into a run.

* * *

Elphaba nudged the door open with her toe, scowling as she struggled with the tray in her arms. Two bowls of soup and a small plate of bread were balanced precariously on top. She grinned slightly as she managed to get inside the room without spilling a drop. "How's it going, Glinda?" she asked, kicking the door shut behind her.

"I'm almost done, Elphie!" The blonde bounced on her bed, rustling the pages that surrounded her. "Just a couple of minor edits, and then I can turn it in!" She had yet to look up from the paper she was writing. The green girl smirked and set the food she was carrying down on her desk.

"I suppose it would be rude to say 'I told you so.'"

"Don't even think about it," Glinda warned, still focused on her paper.

"You got it done, didn't you?"

"Yes, and all it took was an entire day of nothing but researching and writing. It was absolutely miserable! I don't know how you stand this, Elphie. I haven't even eaten anything today!"

"But now you don't have to worry about finishing it."

"That doesn't stop me from being hungry." The blonde pouted, finally setting her pen down.

"No, but this might." Elphaba grabbed one of the bowls of soup and handed it to her. Glinda's face lit up.

"Elphie," she said, taking the bowl from her. "You didn't have to bring me dinner."

The green girl shrugged as she took the books and papers from Glinda's bed and stacked them on the blonde's desk. "You've been working hard all day. It's the least I could do."

Glinda opened her mouth, about to say something, but then closed it again. She frowned slightly as the other girl turned her back and grabbed her own bowl. _I love you, _she wanted to tell her. But she knew it would make Elphaba uncomfortable, and Glinda couldn't stand the thought of that.

So she settled for saying it silently. _I love you, I love you, I love you. _

* * *

"Did you see them the other day?" a voice whispered. "They were _holding hands._"

Glinda crossed her arms over her chest, but didn't dare peek out of her hiding spot. She was standing in a little alcove in the hallway, and just around the corner from her a small crowd was growing. The blonde knew she should have just kept walking past them—or at least turned and gone back the other way—but when she had heard her name and the words _green freak_, something had caused her to stop and listen to what they were saying.

"It just doesn't make sense!" The girl's voice seemed almost close to a whine. "Galinda was such a sweet girl."

_It's _Glinda_, _the blonde thought fiercely. _Oz, if they're going to talk about me, can't they at least get my name right?_

"Well _I _heard that she's started doing terrible things ever since she left her old friends. You should hear some of the things she says to them!"

"Like what?" someone asked eagerly. Glinda scowled. She was never mean to her old friends—it was the other way around!

"Maybe it's not her fault," another voice cut in. "I heard that the vegetable bewitched her."

"What do you mean?"

"Why else would Miss Galinda fall for the green bean? They hated each other, remember? Obviously it's against her will."

Glinda shook her head, biting her lip. Her throat was starting to ache. "Stop it," she mouthed, but no sound came out.

"But if it's against her will, shouldn't someone do something?"

"Do _you _want to go against the freak?"

"I don't think she's bewitched," someone said suddenly. "I think she wants it. _I've _even heard that they've done…things…together."

A murmur went through the group. Glinda put a hand to her mouth to stifle her cry of protest. It was lies, all of it! So…why couldn't she walk away?

"I'm not surprised," one boy said. "From what her friend told me, this wouldn't be Glinda's first time. In fact, I've heard that she's quite the little…"

Glinda didn't hear anything else, for at that moment she clapped her fists over her ears. She shook her head back and forth furiously, her curls whipping around her face. Her eyes screwed shut in a desperate attempt to relieve the stinging. She bit her lip so hard it hurt. But nothing helped. Nothing could stop the tears that began to spill down her cheeks. Nothing could silence the whispers from echoing, scraping through her mind.

A hand grabbed her wrist. She jerked back, her eyes flying open, and opened her mouth to cry out. She was stopped, however, by the sight of green before her.

Elphaba didn't say a word. She simply put an arm around the blonde's shoulders and steered her away from the crowd of whispering students. Glinda whimpered slightly as the green arm tightened around her. She closed her eyes again and let herself be overwhelmed by the sanctuary of Elphaba's embrace.

* * *

Elphaba didn't mean to sneak away. It just happened from time to time.

There was a choir at Shiz. They could be heard from the concert hall on Monday evenings, if anyone cared to walk by after sunset. Should the green girl be out wandering at that time, she always ended up at the music building.

She never went in, of course—she could only imagine the catastrophe that would occur if she tried to join the choir—but she enjoyed the music nonetheless. Elphaba would sit down against the wall and close her eyes. If she was still enough, she could picture a piano at her back instead of the brick. She could just imagine her mother's voice, coating the music of the keys with a gentle lullaby.

If she was still enough, she could allow herself to sing along.

When Glinda came back to an empty room yet again, she scowled and dropped her bag onto her desk. Where in the world did Elphaba _go_? The blonde turned on her heel and stormed out of Crage Hall, determined to find the green girl and figure out exactly what she did when she was always missing.

It was dark outside. Glinda shivered and rubbed the chill from her arms. Her brow furrowed and her lip stuck out as she silently cursed her green roommate. Why did she always have to wander off in the middle of the night? They hadn't seen each other all day. Didn't she want to see Glinda? And why in Oz was it so _cold_?

She finally found the green girl huddled against some building with her back turned. Glinda opened her mouth, fully intending to give Elphaba a piece of her mind, but was silenced by a green finger pressed against her lips. She blinked in surprise. She had barely noticed Elphaba stand up, her reaction was so quick. But then the blonde scowled at her roommate. "What are you _doing _out here?" she demanded.

Instead of answering, Elphaba grabbed her hand and tugged on it, gently leading her closer to the door of the building. She settled into her corner, pulling the blonde down with her, and leaned her back against the bricks. Glinda was too confused to react, and the moment she felt Elphaba pulling her closer, she completely gave up trying to make sense of everything. The blonde relaxed into Elphaba's chest as green arms wrapped around her. Their little corner was dark, embracing them in cool shadows, but the windows in the doors let out a little light from the building and cast patches of glowing orange on the ground in front of them. Glinda watched as the light flicked and wavered across the dirt and concrete. She looked up at the doors and finally recognized where they were.

"The music hall?" she whispered questioningly. Elphaba's arms tightened around her.

"Listen," she breathed in her ear.

Glinda listened. She heard a quiet breeze dance through the campus. She heard the scurrying of some squirrel or bird in the courtyard nearby. She could hear, just barely, the sound of Elphaba's warm breath against her neck and the rustle of clothing on clothing, skin on green skin. And then she heard the music.

It started as just a few piano keys. Glinda closed her eyes and pictured lithe fingers spilling across the ivory, snatching an ebony chord here and there, spelling out the base line and trickling a lilting melody over it. After a few seconds, a voice joined in. No, two voices. She couldn't quite make out the words, but for some reason that made everything seem more _real_. The voices wove through each other, balancing the other's phrases, dipping down and reaching up and coming together once more. More voices joined the first two, yet somehow the music remained soft and sweet. The sound of the piano rolled beneath the choir, sailing them forward through the melody.

And then Glinda heard, sweeter than all the music of Oz, a humming in her ear. Quiet at first, but then steadier, fuller, until it took shape and became a voice. Soft and sure, the voice sang for her. Hands played with her hair and a cheek was pressed to her neck, and still the singing went on. There were no words, not really, but the sound was clear and gentle and pure: the voice that never sang, not for anything, not anymore, murmuring sweet melodies just for her. The blonde didn't move—though she desperately wanted to turn and face Elphaba—for fear that the music would stop, and the piano and choir that had faded into the background would disappear, and the lights would go out and the darkness would become a monster, not an embrace, and this perfect moment would be nothing more than her imagination.

So she kept still, her eyes closed, as green hands played with her hair and traced circles over her bare arms, and the light flickered on the ground in front of them, and the lovely, precious voice sang for no one else but her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/****N: Final chapter! Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed and favorited and followed-especially heatqueen and MyLittleElphie. **

**Feedback is so very much appreciated. Enjoy!**_  
_

* * *

Both girls had thought it would take longer. Simply holding hands in public was trying enough. Glinda had never been happier, of course, but this new revelation in her life was mind-blowing, and she had struggled from the start to come to terms with it. She knew it would be months, at least, before she was used to the glares and whispers that were directed at her.

So it surprised them both when Glinda whispered the words, "I'm ready."

Elphaba lifted her lips from her neck and met glittering blue eyes. They were already on the bed, half-laying down, the green girl hovering over the blonde. Her raven hair cascaded down her shoulders and onto Glinda. Her dark eyes glowed. Oz, she wanted to. But…

"Glinda…are you sure?"

Glinda nodded, reaching up and caressing the smooth green face. "I'm ready," she said again. Her voice was quiet, but it held all the certainty in Oz. "I love you, Elphie."

Elphaba licked her lips, tilting her head slightly. She pressed her mouth to the blonde's once more. Her hands drifted, moving from Glinda's cheek down to gently cup a breast. Her lips trailed down her jaw and into the lines of her collar bone. Glinda shivered, letting out a small whimper, and pulled the green girl closer. Elphaba's other hand moved from the small of Glinda's back to her waist, and then lower, curling around her thigh, pushing the satin nightgown higher up her body.

"Elphie," the blonde breathed, her fingers tightening around green shoulders. Elphaba let her teeth graze the smooth skin of the pale neck. She grinned when Glinda let out a small moan. But as she moved her hand between Glinda's legs, the expression faded.

Elphaba gulped as nerves ran through her. She trembled. She wanted this, she had been thinking about this for so long now…so why was she so terrified? What was holding her back?

_I love you, Elphie_.

Glinda's words echoed through her mind. Guilt flooded through Elphaba. Slowly, she pulled her hand away and sat up.

"Elphie?"

The green girl moved to the foot of the bed and wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm sorry," she breathed.

"Elphie, what…?"

"I-I…I can't. I'm sorry." Elphaba winced at the quiver in her voice.

"Elphaba, look at me. What's wrong?"

The dark eyes rose to meet blue. "I…" She swallowed hard, searching desperately for something to say. And suddenly, the words came pouring out of her. "I'm so sorry, Glinda. I just…I can't do it. I want to—_Oz, _I want to! But how could I possibly do this…how could I even start to make love to you when I can't even—I don't even have the guts to say it out loud!"

"Elphie—"

"Why am I such a coward? Why can't I—I can't—what's wrong with me?!" Elphaba's voice had risen until it echoed off the walls of their dorm room. Glinda reached for her hand and gripped it fiercely between both of hers.

"Elphaba, it's okay. You're not ready. That's perfectly okay."

"No it's not, Glinda! What if I'm never ready? What if…" Elphaba shook her head. "You deserve better than this."

"Don't you ever say that," Glinda said, her eyes flashing. "You're more than I deserve. And even if you weren't, it doesn't matter. _I love you._ Nothing else matters."

The green girl shook her head. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't be."

"I still am."

Glinda squeezed her hand gently. "Well, then, make it up to me."

"How?" Elphaba asked quietly, glancing up at her. The blonde tugged on her hand, trying to pull her closer.

"Lay with me. Just…lay with me."

For a moment, neither girl moved. Then, with a tiny smile, Elphaba shifted and moved back to the head of the bed. The girls slipped under the covers and huddled together. Elphaba wrapped her arms around the blonde and held her to her chest. Glinda lay with her back to her. Her fingers traced soothing patterns on the green skin. She could feel, just barely, Elphaba's heart beat. The steadiness lulled her, and she snuggled in closer. She closed her eyes and smiled at the slight tickle of warm breath against the back of her neck. The last five minutes replayed in her head, and a slight frown creased her features.

Glinda would gladly wait until Elphaba was ready—after all, it was what the green girl had always done for her. She only wished there was something she could do to reassure her that everything was all right. She loved Elphaba, and more than anything else, she was afraid of the green girl not knowing that. But of course, Elphaba was afraid of getting hurt. She was too afraid of losing Glinda. That's why she could never say she loved her.

Then again, hadn't she said it before? Wasn't it spoken, just a little, in every embrace they shared? Images flashed through Glinda's mind. She remembered Elphaba helping her with her homework, believing in her when no one else did. She felt Elphaba's gaze as she looked at her with no makeup on and still called her beautiful. She saw herself in the green girl's coat, huddled in green arms as she was carried across campus in the freezing cold. She could picture Elphaba's warm eyes as she led her away from their awful, gossiping peers. She could hear her voice, singing softly into her ear, letting the music spell out the words she couldn't quite find.

And all at once, everything clicked.

"You do say it, though."

Glinda's quiet voice filled the room for a moment before fading away into the darkness. She felt Elphaba shift behind her.

"Pardon?"

"You say it," she stated simply. "Maybe you can't say the words, but you still say it every single day, in every way you can. And I hear you."

There was a pause. Neither girl moved. Glinda could just barely hear the sound of Elphaba's breath, but she didn't dare turn to see her face.

But then the tension in the air disappeared. Elphaba held her tighter and buried her face into the blonde's hair. Glinda closed her eyes again and sighed happily, and as she felt the green girl smile into her neck, she knew that Elphaba was saying it all over again. She had one last thought before sleep took her.

_I love you too, Elphie_.


End file.
